The study of facial micro-expressions in domestic animals
(Equus caballus & Canis lupus familiaris)
Description:Micro-expressions have been described in humans as facial movements expressed less
than 500 milliseconds. They can be associated with different emotions as disgust, anger, joy, etc.
Micro-expressions are not under our voluntary control so these expressions cannot be simulated,
which is not the case with long lasting facial expressions (Bhatnagar et al., 2016). It is interesting to
analyse them because they could give more precise information about the internal state of an
individual. Up to now, micro expressions have been explored a lot in humans but a few in non-human
animals. Data collection in horses has been already done during the last spring and the results suggest
that non-human animals have micro-expressions.
This internship aims to investigate whether non-human animals have or not some facial microexpressions, and if they express them according to a socio-cognitive context. More precisely, this
research will take place in a human animal interaction context, between an owner and his/her animal,
a dog or a horse. The person will participate to the recordings, the data collection and the statistical
analysis.
Time:6 months, between September and March
Requested profile: We are searching for a person in a master’s degree, interested in human-animal
relationship, who have some experiences with dogs and/or horses. The person should know how to
study animal behaviour, dogs’ and/or horses one preferentially.
Contact: Sophie PELLON, sophie.pellon@ulb.ac.be, Faculty of Medecine, Campus Erasme, Université
Libre de Bruxelles (BELGIUM)
(Equus caballus & Canis lupus familiaris)
Description:Micro-expressions have been described in humans as facial movements expressed less
than 500 milliseconds. They can be associated with different emotions as disgust, anger, joy, etc.
Micro-expressions are not under our voluntary control so these expressions cannot be simulated,
which is not the case with long lasting facial expressions (Bhatnagar et al., 2016). It is interesting to
analyse them because they could give more precise information about the internal state of an
individual. Up to now, micro expressions have been explored a lot in humans but a few in non-human
animals. Data collection in horses has been already done during the last spring and the results suggest
that non-human animals have micro-expressions.
This internship aims to investigate whether non-human animals have or not some facial microexpressions, and if they express them according to a socio-cognitive context. More precisely, this
research will take place in a human animal interaction context, between an owner and his/her animal,
a dog or a horse. The person will participate to the recordings, the data collection and the statistical
analysis.
Time:6 months, between September and March
Requested profile: We are searching for a person in a master’s degree, interested in human-animal
relationship, who have some experiences with dogs and/or horses. The person should know how to
study animal behaviour, dogs’ and/or horses one preferentially.
Contact: Sophie PELLON, sophie.pellon@ulb.ac.be, Faculty of Medecine, Campus Erasme, Université
Libre de Bruxelles (BELGIUM)